How much does it cost to register a copyright in the US? Current fees, the proposed change, and when it’s worth it

Current US copyright registration fees, and the proposed change

These are the basic registration fees on the US Copyright Office’s fees page, checked on 30 October 2026, next to the fees the Office has proposed:

When the new fees could start. The Office’s proposed fee schedule is marked “Submitted to Congress July 14, 2026”. It says:

“By law, the Register of Copyrights may institute the new fees 120 days after the proposed schedule is submitted to Congress unless Congress enacts a law within that time period stating that it does not approve the schedule. The Office seeks to implement these new fees in the fall of 2026.”

So the new fees aren’t in force yet. When we checked, the Office hadn’t published a start date on its fees page or in the Federal Register. Until it does, the fees page is the one to go by.

The Office had considered scrapping the cheaper Single Application. The same document says it will instead “maintain this application for the time being” and raise the fee from $45 to $55.

Which application fits your work

• Single Application: for one work, made by one author, where that author is also the claimant and the work wasn’t made for hire.
• Standard Application: for most other electronic claims, such as works with more than one author.
• Group options: the Office also offers group registrations for some kinds of work. The current fees page lists a group of unpublished works ($85), a group of two-dimensional artworks ($85), a group of published or unpublished photographs ($55) and works published on an album of music ($65). The proposal would raise these too: to $130 for the unpublished-works and two-dimensional-artwork groups, and to $85 for the photograph groups. For albums, the proposed fee depends on the type of work.
• Paper: the most expensive way to file.

The Office’s online system is called the Electronic Copyright Office (eCO). Its rules decide which option you can use, so read the guidance there before you pick one.

Why registration matters in the US

You don’t have to register to have copyright in the United States. The Copyright Office’s general FAQ says:

“In general, registration is voluntary. Copyright exists from the moment the work is created. You will have to register, however, if you wish to bring a lawsuit for infringement of a U.S. work.”

It also says: “Registered works may be eligible for statutory damages and attorney’s fees in successful litigation.”

Timing matters for those remedies. The Office’s Copyright Basics (Circular 1) says: “When registration is made prior to infringement or within three months after publication of a work, a copyright owner is eligible for statutory damages, attorneys’ fees, and costs.”

How long does it take? The Office’s processing times FAQ reports that, for cases closed between 1 April and 30 September 2026, electronic claims that needed no correspondence took an average of 3.4 months. The average across all claims was 4.1 months.

If enforcement in the US is a real possibility for you, check with a US attorney about timing and which application to use.

This is general information, not legal advice. For advice about your situation, speak to a lawyer in your country.

Do non-US creators need US registration?

Not to have copyright. Whether it’s worth registering depends on where your work is published and where you might need to enforce it. For the records that help when you have not registered, see how to prove copyright ownership without registration.

Circular 1 draws a line between US and non-US works. It says the Copyright Office “must approve or refuse your application before you can file a lawsuit for copyright infringement, except in cases involving a non-U.S. work.” It also says “The date and nation of first publication may determine if a non-U.S. work is eligible for copyright protection in the United States.”

The timing rule for statutory damages and attorneys’ fees, quoted above, is a separate point. That’s one reason creators outside the US who sell there often ask about registering. Whether it’s worth it for you is a question for a US attorney.

Other countries work differently. Australia and the UK have no copyright register at all: see copyright in Australia and copyright registration in the UK. Canada does have one; see copyright registration in Canada.

US copyright registration cost vs a timestamp: different jobs

Registration and a timestamp are often mentioned together, but they don’t compete.

• Registration is an official public record of a claim, examined by the US Copyright Office. You file one deposit (or one group) per application, usually for a finished work.
• A timestamp is a private, dated record of exact files. TimeBinder works out a hash of each file on your device. A hash is a fingerprint of the file: a short code calculated from the file’s exact contents. Your file is never uploaded. Only the fingerprint is anchored to the Bitcoin blockchain. A TimeBind then shows that an exact file existed no later than the recorded time, and that the file you have still matches its fingerprint. There’s a step-by-step explanation on how TimeBinder works.

That makes timestamps useful along the way, for example when dating each draft of a screenplay before it’s finished. See how to show a screenplay existed before a date.

Each TimeBind can hold up to 10 files. There are two types:

• Pooled (1 Token). Your fingerprint is grouped with other users’ and recorded on Bitcoin, usually within 24 to 48 hours, and often sooner, depending on Bitcoin network activity. It’s checked through TimeBinder. The Free plan’s monthly Token covers one Pooled TimeBind.
• ASAP (3 Tokens). It gets its own Bitcoin transaction, sent straight away. It can be checked independently with the certificate and the Bitcoin blockchain, without relying on TimeBinder.

If you’re planning to enforce in the US, registration does a job a timestamp can’t. Many people use both: timestamps for drafts, registration for the finished work. For a wider comparison, see copyright registration vs a timestamp. If you’re weighing other private dating services, our page on WIPO PROOF alternatives may help.

When TimeBinder isn’t the right tool

• You’re about to sue over a US work. You need registration, and a US attorney. A timestamp won’t stand in for either.
• You only want to register a finished work once. File with the Copyright Office. A timestamp adds little if you have no drafts or versions you want dated.
• You want someone to hold a copy of your work. TimeBinder never receives your files, so it can’t store them for you.
• You’re already in a dispute. Records made at the time count most. Get advice rather than relying on anything created now.

Which plan fits

Most people dating the odd finished draft can stay on the Free plan: 1 Token a month, enough for one Pooled TimeBind. The Free plan’s monthly Token doesn’t roll over. If you date drafts most weeks, the pricing page lists Essential at $20 a month for 5 Tokens and Expert at $50 a month for 15 Tokens. Each paid plan replaces the Free plan’s monthly Token. Extra Tokens are $5 each, 3 for $15 or 9 for $40, and prices are in US dollars. Our guide to which plan you need walks through it.